High Protein Spaghetti Casserole: A Healthy Comfort Food Favorite
This high-protein spaghetti casserole is a comforting and healthy meal. Featuring ground beef, a rich tomato sauce, lupini pasta, and a creamy ricotta and cheese mixture, it's baked to perfection for a satisfying dinner.
Equipment
- Large, heavy-bottomed skillet
- Pot
- Spatula
- Oven-safe casserole dish (9x13 or similar)
- Oven
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 4-6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 24 oz. jar your favorite pasta sauce tomato base
- 8 oz Kaizen pasta any variety (pictured with Fusilli)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (cheddar, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, etc.), plus more for topping the pasta bake
- Pinch salt
- Pinch black pepper
Optional Toppings
- Parmesan cheese optional topping
- fresh basil optional topping
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Cooking Meat Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then sauté chopped onion until softened. Add minced garlic and ground beef, cook briefly, then season with oregano and red pepper flakes, breaking up the meat.
- Once the meat is nearly cooked, add the pasta sauce, stir well, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow it to reduce.
Cooking Pasta
- While the sauce simmers, boil water in a separate pot, cook the lupini pasta for 5 minutes until al dente, then drain.
Assembly
- Combine the cooked pasta with the meat sauce, mixing thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- In a 9x13 casserole dish, layer the pasta mixture, then the ricotta mixture, repeating until all ingredients are used, ensuring the top layer is pasta and sauce.
Baking
- Sprinkle additional shredded cheese over the casserole and bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Remove from the oven, and optionally garnish with fresh basil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes before serving.
Notes
For an extra layer of flavor, consider browning the ground beef until deeply caramelized before adding the sauce. Adjust red pepper flakes to your preferred spice level.